The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned Nigerian students against hard drugs, saying no drug can enhance their academic performance.

The NDLEA Commander, Kwara State Command, Mohammad Ibrahim, gave the advice while speaking with newsmen at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

Ibrahim stated that hard drugs do not promote the performance of students in any examination.

He stressed that the small perceived feelings from the drugs would later hurt such a student, adding that they must resist all forms of pressure that can lead them to drug abuse.

He explained that “part of what the Command is doing differently is to enhance the working ability of the patrol teams to control the state and also to put more officers on the road to intercept substances coming into the state”.

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According to him, the target of the unit is the general public, youths and adults, both male and female.

This, he said, was because no human being is immune to drug abuse as drug addiction cuts across all aspects of life.

Ibrahim noted that all categories of drugs can be abused, adding: “NAFDAC is in charge of the licit drugs, while the focus of the NDLEA is on illicit drugs and psychoactive substances, which includes cannabis, cocaine, and heroine. These are substances completely banned by the law.”

The NDLEA Commander said some substances are not banned but are controlled because despite being for medication they are sometimes abused.

He added: “The consequences of drug abuse can be categorised as social, physiological, and physical.

“There is a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for reasoning and making decisions.

“It is not fully developed until age 22 or 23 in an individual. So, when being laced with substances, it leads to distortion of perception, thinking and cognitive reasoning, which leads to risky decisions and affects academic performance.”

The Star